brett



April 2, 1963 J. J. BRETT 3,084,013

TIME PUNCH RECORDER APPARATUS Filed June 24, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR JOHN J. BRETT BY 705 a 70 1 ATTORNEYS April 2, 1963 J. J. BRETT 3,084,013

TIME PUNCH RECORDER APPARATUS Filed June 24, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

IN VENTOR JOHN J. BRETT BY Jay 23 ZTTORNEYS April 2, 1963 J. BRETT 3,084,013

TIME PUNCH RECORDER APPARATUS Filed June 24, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 15 FIG. 3

6 INVENTOR JOHN J.BRET[] April 2, 1963 J. J. BRETT 3,084,013

TIME PUNCH RECORDER APPARATUS Filed June 24, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR JOHN J. BRETT Fay & 701 A TTORNEYS April 2, 1963 J. J. BRETT. 3,084,013

TIME PUNCH RECORDER APPARATUS Filed June 24, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 ll ,L/ 61 Bu 0 HAND PILOT IJIJ HI] 1 TRIP INTERLDOK 30 6 Hi1 I10 2 RACK 9 D m] 3 INTERECEJSIB n m] 4 323938 SOLENOID OPERATING I] [II] PUNCHES l1 l1 6 U l] 1 n I] 8 FIG. 8 D [1 -6| ATTORNEYS United States Patent spacers TIME PUNiIH REiIORDER APEARATUS .iohn 3. Brett, 1559 Crest Read, Qieveiand Heights, Ohio Fiied dune 2a, 19%, Ser. No. 822,486 2 Claims. (Ci. 346 39) This invention particularly relates to a time recorder with a time keeping mechanism and punching means for punching the time into a card to be subsequently read by a machine sensible device. The cards may be of standard type, such as LEM. punch cards or Remington Rand punch cards, for use in connection with data processing machines.

The invention relates to an apparatus that will punch the time into punch cards, generally for job cost and attendance purposes, on a selected portion of a card.

Generally this apparatus has a synchronous motor which revolves at a constant speed and drives a series of cams and ratchets and pawls to feed a series of reciprocating racks to move between a platen and a die block with a stripper therebetween to punch holes into a card at set points based upon the time being recorded and punched.

The job cost and attendance time punch recorder of this invention is adaptable for manual operation. Its purpose is to automatically punch the time in digital units on a card for subsequent machine sensing. It has a minimum of components and is a relatively inexpensive attendance recorder or job recorder, and it is particularly useful for recording the time when a person is on. piece work in manufacturing operations or other type operations.

An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved time punch for recording the time in a machine sensible card.

A further object. of this invention is to provide a new and improved simplified mechanism for punching the time in a machine sensible card, said device generally being operated by constant speed motors of the synchronous.

type or other type which drive aseries of cams and ratchets that operate a hammer between a platen and a die block to punch holes in a card at specified points.

A further object of this invention is to accurately position a card adapted for machine sensing and fix it in position as by means of a pilot interlock, and then punch in said card the time of an operation. 7

A further object of this invention is to develop a new and improved simplified time punch as well as a simplified means for accurately punching into a specified location of a card the time generally in minutes and tens of minutes, hours and tens of hours or additional components, if

desired.

Generally in connection with the time punch recorders and job recorders problems have been experienced with machine design making it difiicult to produce low cost machines.

This invention is illustrated as using an I.-B.M. card, but the invention may be used with other types of machine sensible cards operating on a punched hole principle or having perforated formations thereon.

The time punch is primarily designed for job cost recording, i.e., for recording the in time and oif time of a particular individual who is working on a special assignment or machine operation. Under certain conditions, however, it may also be used to record the attendprinted in bold letters the word,ou

Patented Apr. 2, 1963 ance time of a person when he punches in and out only and is not required to record his lunch time in an out. This means that an individual workman would use only one card each day for his attendance record, making a total of five cards for the week. Tabulating machines compute the time each day, accumulating it on a weekly basis. At the end of the week the total attendance record is available for subsequent tabulation by a tabulating machine for payroll figuring.

The advantages of such a system may readily be seen, in that this is an entirely mechanical operation, and no reading of individual cards is necessary. The time punch is unique, inasmuch as it is designed to be a simple punching mechanism which can be produced relatively inexpensively. There would be economic value in using the punch rather than recording time by hand or by the conventional printing methods of conventional time clocks. By designing the time punch so that it can be produced economicaliy, there will be an economical advantage to data processing systems in using a punch car-d having the time punched directly into the card for use in data processing machines. p

The punch is designed so that the card is to be placed on the feed table between two guides. When the card is moved forwardly up against the stop, two pilots are released which fix the position of the card in the time punch. Until the pilots are released and pass through the holes in the card to make contact with the pair of electrical contacts, it is impossible to operate the punch mechanism.

The punch mechanism is operated manually by a workman who places his card into the time punch. There is a manual button or trip mechanism and, when the pilot has closed the contacts and the operator actuates the manual mechanism, the time is punched into the card. If an employee wishes to punch out on a job, he takes the same card, flips it over to the back side on which is He then places the card between the guides so that it can be moved only in the horizontal plane, pushes it against the stop, and this releases the pilots which again make contact, allowing him to punch the out time directly into the card. This does not require a feed mechanism to adjust the card for the various series of columns. This means that the out punches will actually be in reverse on the face of the card and will be read backwards. However, since tabulating machines are Wired in such a manner so as to recognize this condition, the time will be computed in the normal manner by the machines. The machines will then calculate the lapsed times, subtracting the in time from the out time.

The punch mechanism used to actually pierce the card contains a punch for units of hours and tens of hours, and units of minutes and tens of minutes. That is to say, there is a column for zero to nine hours and for up to three tens of hours, or a twenty-four hour day. In the field used for units of minutes, there will be ten punches, zero through nine. In the field used for tens of minutes, there will be six punches, zero through five. In the hour field for units of hours, there will be ten punches, zero through nine, and for tens of hours, there will be three punches, Zero, one and two. Of course, it is to be understood that there could be an additional punch for days, if desired. That is, the same gearing could be arranged so that one complete revolution actuates a day punch and at the end of the day, advances to the seconddigit. There would be seven additional punches for each day of the Wee The punches are all set in place in the die block and are actually actuated by a hammer directly linked to the time keeping mechanism. The hammer advances over the units of minutes punches at the rate of once each minute, moving from zero to one, to the two, to the three, etc. This would be the same situation as with the tens of minutes. An additional hammer is provided to operate the punch in accordance with the tens of minutes to be punched; Thesame, system is, used. forpunching, the, hours, and the tens of hours.

This time keepingis the result of a synchronous motor directly connected through linkage, gearing and ratchets so that the hammer is advanced the necessary space to, position the hammer directly over the punchrequired and as the circuit is made, the platen comes down ovepthe, hammer and punches the hole into the card.

As an added safeguard to prevent an operator from operating the punch while the hammer is moving from one punch to anotherduringthe interval at which the time changes, the series of contacts are positioned on the. cam so that approximately threeseconds or so before the hammer is advanced, to the next punch, the contacts close prohibiting the coil or solenoid from operating the punch mechanism.

Therefore, in order to make the punch operate, three electrical conditions must be fulfilled. The synchronous motor cam must be some place between the second and. the fifty-ninth second, by way of example, allowing the contacts to be opened, The second condition is that the pilot must have seated and gone through the punch and; closed the second set of contacts. The third electrical condition is that the operator must then manually tripa third switch which will cause the solenoid to operateand the punches actually to pierce the card. The electrical.

button can be usedto actuate solenoids if the other, two electrical conditions, described above, arefulfilled.

With respect to the other details, the synchronous motor drives a series of gears and cams which activate ratchets. These ratchetsin turn drive a pinion and a rack which advances the hammer over the punches in a manner to be explainedherein.

To theaccomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention then consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description setting forth in detail one approved means of carrying out the invention, such disclosed means, however, constituting but one ofthe various ways in which the principles of the invention may be'used.

In thedrawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional-view of my new and improved time keeping and punching mechanism, showing the hand trip, the feed mechanism. and a side view of the synchronous motor gear ratchets' and racks;

FIG. 2 is a cut-away top plan view of the time keeping mechanism;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the minute ratchet and a cross-sectional view through the minute rack and the punching mechanism, taken on line 3-3 of FIGJI;

FIG. 4 is a further side view, partly in cross-section of the tens of minutes cam, ratchet and gear train together with the pilots, this cross-sectional view being taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the hour cam, ratchet and pawls together with the gear train and racks for actuating the hour rack, clutch and hammer, taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the time punch and the feed guides;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of the card, showing the pilot holes and the punches for all of the minutes, tensof minutes, hours and tens of hours punches; and

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of the interlock circuits for the time keeping and punching mechanism.

In connection with this application, FIG. 1 shows generally a time keeping and punching mechanism having a feed surface shown at 10, a hand trip to be actuated by the thumb or fingers at 11, pivoted at 12', with an arm projecting upwardly therefrom at 13 adapted to make con tact at 14. A card 61 is inserted on the feed section It? between the two guide surfaces 16 and 17 as seeri'in FIG.- 6, and the card is fed beneath the front of the time keep-- ing mechanism as seen :in FIG. 1 at 18 beneath the punches shortly to be disclosed.

In general in connection with this invention, the struc-' tural features can be seen in FIG. 2, where a synchronous} motor mount of typical construction is shown 'as at 20 having the usual supports and other means for holding the mount. This motor is adapted to revolve at a constant rateof one. revolution perminute. There is a wheel 21-. having a cam 22' aflixed thereto which revolves at the rate of one revolution per minute, Withthe arm 23.which, is,resilie ntly biased at 24 in the downward position. The carnlifts the arm raising the feed pawl 27 whichis pivoted onto the arm at 25. This in turn is resiliently urged by a spring means, not shown, so that it moves clockwise around the teethof ratchet wheel 28, and, because of the resilient urging of the spring 24, the ratchet wheel is moved forward onetooth. At the same time, there is a. carnming surface on wheel 21 as seen at 29 which causes the contacts indicated generally at 30m close the rack feed interlock contacts 31 and 32, short out the circuit breaker and prevent punching while the racks are feeding forwardly, generally for about three seconds, i.e., fromf the fifty-ninth sec-0nd through the second second of each minute, during which time the rack may feed and the punching, mechanism will not operate.

The operation of the minute hand is basically through the. feed pawl 27, which moves up tooth by' tooth on ratchet 28, and in turn drives the shaft 43. This in turn drives gear 44 which drives gear 45 and through another shaft drives gear 46, which in turn is connected to the rack 34. Actuallythe'rack may consist of one or more components and be cast asa single part or have a rack strip fixedly mounted to a slide. At the end of the rack is a hammer portion indicated at 47 which is adapted to be positioned over each, of the punches. That is to say, in this case the punches would be the nine of the nine digit punch 48, and.

' be the Zeno punch in the other extreme of FIG. 3 would as indicated at 49.

The punching mechanism consisting of the platen 50, the stripper 51 and the die block 52, together with aserie's of punches, one for each of the units in both the minutes, tens; of minutes, hours and tens of hours field, is shown. Above this would be a lift plate 54, and there would be a shoulder on each of the heads of the punches at 55, the shoulder being shown at 56. The lift plate is resiliently urged as by means of spring 57 mounted in a recess of the stripper 51. The stripper bolt and stripper spring are: shown at 59 and 60.

The operation of the die punching mechanism is follows: When the card is inserted between the stripperand the die block, as seen at 61, the pilots 62 may pass through thepilot holes, as seen particularly in connection with FIG. 7- at 63 and 64. Contactis made by means of a contact shaft 65 connected to a resilient arm 66 and its contact 67. This makes an electrical contact to contact 68 so that-the circuit shown in FIG. 8 may be completed by, means of the solenoid, not shown except schematically in FIG; 8, and in this way the platen 50 is operated, causing the harn-rner47 connected to the rack to make contact with the punches, causing, a punch to depress the lift plate 54 and its spring 57 and causing the punch, for example, at 4&to pass through the stripper 51 and into the die block 52, thereby removing a small section of the card therefrom and producing a pattern of openings as seen in connection with FIG. 7. I

The operation of the other racks, hammers and punches will be substantially similar to that described in connection particularly with FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, and, similarly, each rack and each hammer is resiliently mounted as by means of a spring shown at 70 in FIG. 3 which causes the rack and hammer to return to the zero position upon the next movement after the nine position, and the segment of the gear as shown particularly in connection with FIG. 3 as at 72 is cut away for the non-operation portion of the gear.

Of course, it is to be understood in connection with this operation that only a small section of the punching mechanism is shown in each of the views and that there will be two interlocks and two pilots connected in series so that both the pilots must pass through the card in order to complete the circuit as shown in FIG. 3.

Upon completion of the cycle, during which time the solenoid operates the platen causing the punches in the card upon breaking of the power connection, the stripper springs and lift springs return the parts to their original positions so that the cycle may be repeated. By means of this mechanism, however, any number of punches may be placed in a card simultaneously and in a correct position. The operation of the other components, such as the tens of minutes cam, ratchet and gears shown in FIG. 4, are to be explained.

The same shaft that is directly connected to the tens of minutes field. Shown in FIG. 4 is a type of escapement driven by the shaft which will release the tens of minutes cam and ratchet so that it will move one position every ten minutes. Notice how the cam 30 has six portions and as it revolves in a counterclockwise direction, shown in FIG. 4, the follower 81 and follower arm 82 will be pivoted about a circle indicated at about the center of the arm 83 and will move arm 84 and the escapement arm 85 off the ratchet wheel 86. The resilient spring illustrated schematically at 87 will operate to return arms 84 and 8S and contact point 88 to the ratchet wheel 86 when the cam follower 81 and the follower arm 82 drop into the next notch of the cam 80, this next notch being shown at 89. By this means the escapement wheel will be advanced one unit, and this in turn will drive gears to advance the rack accordingly. The tens of minutes rack and hammer will, therefore, be advanced one unit.

In connection with this view, there are three layersthe cam, the cam follower and a pinion which is keyed to the ratchet wheel but it not keyed to the drive shaft. Accordingly, the pinion indicated at 91 will drive gear 92 which in turn will drive rack 93. A similar mechanism is noted in this view, including a resilient spring 94 for returning the rack to the zero position. There will be, of course, six punches-zero, one, two, three, four and fiveafter which the punch will return to the Zero position. In this connection the same solenoid trip operation would be used to operate the platen to move the punch, and this is shown schematically in FIG. 8 at 96.

FIG. 5 shows the hour cam which is driven from the same shaft 43, the cam being shown in this view at 97. The cam follower is shown at 98- and the cam follower arm at 99. As the cam rotates once every hour, arm 99 pivots about its axis 83, causing arm 101 to move clockwise and taking with it the escapernent arm 102 which moves off the ratchet wheel 1 0 3. As it falls off the end of the cam into the slot shown at 104, the resilient spring urging means pivots arms 101 and 102 about the pivot point to advance the ratchet wheel 3 one indexing unit. This, in turn, drives a keyed gear 104 which in turn drives a gear 105 and rack 106. The hour hand has the units zero through nine, and the rack is resiliently biased by means of spring 107. The lift plate and stripper structure shown in this figure is conventional in design as in the other views.

The same shaft from the hour ratchet wheel drives a driven by the minute hand is 7 cam indicated at which, as shown in FIG. 1, is the tens of hours cam, and this drives a comparable mechanism consisting of a cam follower, a pawl and a ratchet wheel, the pawl being shown at 111 and the ratchet wheel at 112. This in turn drives the gear 113 which is freeriding on the shaft but is connected as by means of screws to the ratchet wheel which in turn drives gear 114, which is connected to the tens of hours ratchet. There are three positions-zero, one and two-for a twenty-four hour day. The resilient biasing mechanism for the tens of hours rack is the same as shown in the other views.

By the foregoing mechanism a very inexpensive time punch has been devised which will feed and punch units into a card to show the time for either an attendance or job recorder, and which can be easily programmed on machine sensible units.

FIG. 2 shows a different view of the entire operation. It has been taken at various levels to show in the top plan view an outline of the synchronous motor, the various cams, ratchets and followers, and at a second level in cut-away the series of racks, and at a still different level below this the series of punches and the lift plate for holding the punches. There is a cross-sectional view also showing the stripper bolts and stripper springs together with the guide rods, the latter being designated at 120. The card is seen in position for punching.

This invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. In a time punching mechanism, a synchronous motor timed rotary drive means, a multiplicity of rack drive means from said synchronous motor rotary drive means comprising the following: a units of minutes drive means comprising a cam, a feed pawl and a ratchet wheel, gearing means therefor and a rack to said gearing means, whereby the synchronous motor rotary drive means drives the cam through the feed pawl, through the ratchet to the gearing and then to the rack to advance a rack at a regular interval, a second drive means for tens of minutes comprising a cam connected to the same shaft as said minutes drive mechanism and a cam follower, a pawl and ratchet device connected thereto, with gearing connected to a rack for uniformly driving a tens of minutes rack, a further hours drive means comprising a earn, a cam follower, a pawl and a ratchet mechanism, gears and rack for driving the cam and operating the cam follower to move the arm and feed pawl, advancing the ratchet wheel to a gear and to the rack for advancing the hours rack at a specified rate in relation to the minutes and tens of minutes racks in the timed punching mechanism, and a further tens of hours drive means comprising a cam, a cam follower, an escapement arm and feed pawl together with a ratchet connected thereto, and drive means and a rack for advancing the tens of hours unit, and a punching mechanism consisting of a platen, a die block and a stripper with each rack feeding a hammer moving over a series 'of punches at spaced intervals with respect to one another, said punches being mounted in the strippers, whereby upon the operation of the timed drive the components of time in each of the racks advance over the respective positions in the timed punch so that the time may be punched in a machine sensible card for time punching therein.

2. 'In a time punch mechanism, a timed rotary drive means, control means for said drive means to control the drive at a fixed rate, separate control means for said drive means for units of minutes, tens of minutes, hours and tens of hours, each of said control means driving a rack, each of said racks being connected to a hammer, a card punching mechanism comprising. a platen, a die block, a stripper and punches, with saidhammer being positioned between the platen, and the punchesand at 1e'as:t two pilot control devices and contact means therefor, whereby a timed punch may be provided, in a machinesensible' card device and whereby said pilot control devices are adapted f0 pass through registered holes in, the-machine sensible unit to make a contact and to permit the platen in move downwardly forming apunch at the exact point in the card desired.

References Cited in the file of this, patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

2. IN A TIME PUNCH MECHANISM, A TIMED ROTARY DRIVE MEANS, CONTROL MEANS FOR SAID DRIVE MEANS TO CONTROL THE DRIVE AT A FIXED RATE, SEPARATE CONTROL MEANS FOR SAID DRIVE MEANS FOR UNITS OF MINUTES, TENS OF MINUTES, HOURS AND TENS OF HOURS, EACH OF SAID CONTROL MEANS DRIVING A RACK, EACH OF SAID RACKS BEING CONNECTED TO A HAMMER, A CARD PUNCHING MECHANISM COMPRISING A PLATEN, A DIE BLOCK, A STRIPPER AND PUNCHES, WITH SAID HAMMER BEING POSITIONED BETWEEN THE PLATEN AND THE PUNCHES AND AT LEAST TWO PILOT CONTROL DEVICES AND CONTACT MEANS THEREFOR, WHEREBY A TIMED PUNCH MAY BE PROVIDED IN A MACHINE SENSIBLE CARD DEVICE AND WHEREBY SAID PILOT CONTROL DEVICES ARE ADAPTED TO PASS THROUGH REGISTERED HOLES IN THE MACHINE SENSIBLE UNIT TO MAKE A CONTACT AND TO PERMIT THE PLATEN TO MOVE DOWNWARDLY FORMING A PUNCH AT THE EXACT POINT IN THE CARD DESIRED. 